On the 27th June in the city of London the UK Tatar Association held the festival of Sabantuy. This year the celebration was dedicated to the 70th Anniversary of the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945. From the Republic of Tatarstan the event was visited by Ravil Akhmetshin.
At the grand opening of the celebration there were welcoming speeches that were made by Alexander Yakovenko the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Ravil Akhmetshin the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Tatarstan and Plenipotentiary Representative of the Republic of Tatarstan in the Russian Federation, Ambassador of Uzbekistan in the United Kingdom Otabek Akbarov, also amongst the attendees was the Ambassador of Tajikstan in the United Kingdom Erkin Kasymov, and the organiser of Sabantuy the Chairman of the UK Tatar Association Ramil Rifmir uly Minullin. Ravil Akhmetshin delivered the welcoming of the President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov, then the honoured guests and the organiser of the festival under the national anthem of the Republic of Tatarstan took part in the raising of the Sabantuy flag, which marked the official opening of the festival.

One of the first activities was the opening of the exhibition “Friendships between people – the dialogue of cultures”, which presented the paintings of Rinat Kuramshin and Albina Kuramshina. The theme which was present at the exhibition of paintings was devoted to such a significant date as it is the 70th Anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. 175 years since the birth of the famous composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky and the Year of Literature in Russia.

Sometime later during the concert part of the Sabantuy, which was run by Ildar Kiyamov who is a broadcaster for the channel TNV and Daniel Harrison in English, Rustam Asaev who is an honoured artist of the Republic of Tatarstan and singer Gulnaz Asaeva performed, Ildar Kiyamov also performed Tatar songs , Regina Saidasheva, Leah Chanisheva, Aybulat Yanturin who danced the Bashkir dance. Traditionally, the festival could not commence without the Sabantuy games: sack races, running with an egg on a spoon, battle with bags on a log and retrieving a coin that is buried in yoghurt. The main sporting event which is held on Sabantuy is waist sash wrestling “Kuresh” which included Tatar, Russian, Bashkir and British participants. The absolute Batyr – in other words, the winner of the wrestling contest was an Englishman Tom Richardson. In addition a contest between the veterans of the sport was held, which an Englishman took first place, giving to Darrin Richardson who is the father of Tom Richardson. Second place went to Adam Lindop also a Briton. Refereeing the wrestling matches was Vadim Kolganov. The absolute Batyr was awarded with valuable gifts, such as the medal of the Universiade from Kazan and a watch from Kazan Kremlin that were delivered by Ravil Akhmetshin, and from the UK Tatar Association gold medals were awarded with the Kuresh emblem on it.

During the festival of Sabantuy, there was an opportunity for people to give a low sum of their personal funds towards a charitable fund which in return they received treats they could taste, such as Tatar dishes echpochpak, peremyach, chak-chak and the Uzbek pilaf. The total collected during the charity event in donations was of £1150 pounds (100 thousand rubles) which will go towards the orphanage homes in Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan.

The leadership of the UK Tatar Association noted that during this year in the organisation and assistance in carrying out the festival of Sabantuy came along and joined new, very kind and lovely young people. The Tatar Association would like to in particular turn attention and thank – Director of a consulting company «SCM Consult» Ayrat Ikhsanov and the lovely Kabirov’ sisters Galiya and Nuria.
The world is not without good people!
Many thanks to all!
A warm thanks for such wonderful work and support of our joint common culture and history of the Tatar people.

Video clip Sabantuy in London: